2015-16 PBC Yearbook | Page 81

PBC YEARBOOK 2016 Baseball All-Conference Team First Team 1b – Mike McClellan, Columbus State 2b – Dylan Cook, Georgia College 3b – Blake Edwards, Columbus State SS – Ryan Ihle, Columbus State C – Max Schoen, USC Aiken UT – Colby Lusignan, Lander DH – Thomas Berry, Lander OF – Zach Daly, Lander OF – Clint Hardy, Augusta OF – Matthew Miller, Georgia College OF – Jackson Oliver, Columbus State SP – Brandon Agar, North Georgia SP – Will Jones, Lander SP – Brandon Koehler, Columbus State SP - Aron McRee, Montevallo RP - Brandon White, Lander Second Team 1b – Taylor Walker, Montevallo 2b – Kolin McMillen, Flagler 3b – Zach Wall, Young Harris SS – Brandon Benson, Georgia College C – Sam Tidaback, North Georgia UT – Brooks Kennedy, Francis Marion DH – Zach Moon, USC Aiken OF – J.D. Crowe, Francis Marion OF – Logan Mattix, Georgia College OF – Chaz Pal, USC Aiken OF – Mitchell Price, USC Aiken SP – Erik Davis, USC Aiken SP – Matt Kelley, Francis Marion SP – Joe Marlow, USC Aiken SP - J.T. Phillips, Armstrong State RP – Cameron Busby, Georgia College Pitcher of the Year Cameron Busby, Georgia College Player of the Year Dylan Cook, Georgia College Freshman of the Year Wesley Wommack, Georgia College Coach of the Year Greg Appleton, Columbus State 2015-16 Harless (6-2) had one of his best starts of the year as the righty tossed eight strong innings. He allowed just two runs while scattering eight hits. The junior punched out seven hitters with no walks. Chaz Wilson tossed a hitless ninth for the Cougars. 2 5 Three PBC Baseball Teams Receive NCAA Tournament Bids INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Three Peach Belt Conference baseball teams will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the 56-team field was announced on Sunday night. Columbus State, fresh off their win in the PBC Tournament earlier in the day, jumped a spot from #2 in last Wednesday’s poll to #1 and will host the regional starting Thursday in Columbus, Ga. Lander is the #2 seed and USC Aiken the #4. CSU will have a bye in the opening round before playing its first game on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Burger King Stadium at Ragsdale Field. Columbus State will meet the winner of fourth-seeded USC Aiken and fifth-seeded Tusculum. Both teams received at-large bids into the tournament. PBC runner-up and second-seeded Lander will take on Conference Carolinas tournament champion and seventh-seeded Mount Olive, while third-seeded Belmont Abbey will match up against South Atlantic Conference tournament champ and sixth-seeded Catawba. For Columbus State, the NCAA selection is the 25th in the program’s storied history. The 25 appearances are the seventh most among all Division II programs. However, this will be the first time the Cougars have hosted the regional since 1994. The Cougars were last in the NCAA Tournament in 2014, getting to the Southeast Regional final before falling to Lander. Columbus State completed its sweep of the PBC Championships on Sunday with a 9-4 win over Lander. The victory marked just the second time that the Cougars took home the conference’s regular season and tournament title. Lander returns to NCAA Tournament play for the first time since 2014. The Bearcats won the southeast region that year and advanced to the World Series for the first time in school history. Lander also reached the tournament in 2012. The Pacers are 37-16 on the season and garnered the No. 4 seed in the Southeast Region, which will be hosted by top-seeded Columbus State. USC Aiken will take on No. 5 Tusculum. Y E A R S Lander baseball wins Southeast Region Championship; heads to Division II College World Series COLUMBUS, Ga. – Lander reliever Brandon White recorded a swing-andmiss for the game’s final out, threw both his glove and cap in the air, was tackled by catcher John Mangum on the mound, and the rest of the Bearcats quickly joined in for yet another celebratory NCAA Southeast Regional Championship dog pile. 79